National News
Senator Patrick Brazeau speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Senate on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016 in Ottawa.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Senate debates bill to add warning labels to alcohol packaging
Published 10:39 PDT, Thu October 9, 2025
Last Updated: 12:48 PDT, Thu October 9, 2025
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Sen. Patrick Brazeau is trying a second time to pass legislation that would add cancer warning labels to alcohol packaging.
The Senate is studying Bill S-202, a revival of legislation Brazeau introduced in the previous Parliament. The previous bill died on the order paper when the spring election was called.
Brazeau, who has been sober for five years, said his personal experience with alcohol is part of what is driving his push for change.
"It does ruin lives. It kills people. It's certainly not good for mental health. And personally, you know, it led me down a very, very, very dark path, so dark that I just wanted to put an end to my life," he said.
Brazeau told a Senate committee Thursday that alcohol is linked to seven deadly types of cancer, including liver, colon, breast and oral cancers.
The Canadian Cancer Society says drinking about three drinks a day could double the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus, and increase the risk of colorectal and breast cancer by one and a half times.
Brandon Purcell, the Canadian Cancer Society's advocacy manager of prevention and early detection, said research shows more than half of Canadians are unaware of alcohol's link to cancer.
"It's about the right of Canadians to know," he said.
"We believe they deserve the same transparency and protection that we've expected from tobacco for some time now."
Brazeau told senators that Corona's non-alcoholic beer, called Sunbrew, carries a label warning people not to consume more than two per day because it has Vitamin D added to it. He said it doesn't make sense that alcoholic beverages lack warning labels.
He told the committee he expects alcohol companies will oppose the bill.
"The alcohol industry and lobby are interested in one thing and one thing only, and that (is) profits. They do not care about the health or well-being of Canadians," he said.
The proposed bill also would require clear labels stating what constitutes a standard drink, the number of drinks per container, and the number of drinks that Health Canada considers a health risk.
A standard drink is five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of spirits or 12 ounces of beer, according to the Cancer Society.
Brazeau said he sees the cancer warning label as only a first step, because alcohol is linked to many other health issues.
He has sponsored another bill that would prohibit the advertising of alcohol.
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– Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly attributed Brazeau's comments about Vitamin D warning labels.
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